


should've cut losses

by Anonymous



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Bottom Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty), Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Depression, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mostly Rick's POV (3rd person), Not Happy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:22:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21556951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Rick grows anxious as Morty is growing up, fearful he'll lose his grandson forever.
Relationships: Rick Sanchez/Morty Smith
Comments: 8
Kudos: 60
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Pilot

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if y'all want additional chapters. Just getting this one out there so I'll feel obligated to write more later. 
> 
> A word of caution: Read the tags. They will be updated periodically.

What Rick realized was something he knew, but lied in the back of his mind; subconsciously, or rather unwilling to address, he was afraid of losing Morty. He's crestfallen in the garage, head resting in hand, eyes staring at nothing but the blankness of his desk. Why did it have to be now? He was always sad at the worst times, and for no good reason, he tries to convince himself. He absent mindedly takes a swig from his flask, which contained whiskey and vodka. Letting himself get like this was always a bad idea, and he knew it too, however preventing it was hard. He didn't have anything in particular to do, and no energy to do anything anyway, so what else was there to do but sit and simply think? And that atmosphere, simply being able to sit and think was something he was afraid of. When he thought too much, he did dumb things, and was an asshole (even more than usual) to people who didn't deserve it. Like Morty.

And of course Morty is on his mind. It would be easier to say the times when he wasn't, if he was being honest. Morty had become such an important, crucial part of Rick's life that even imagining it without him was something he didn't even want to entertain. Morty had started out as a submissive little tag-along, sure, but he had grown and developed so much that Rick genuinely enjoyed having him around. And truthfully, it was rare to find himself in a spot where he could stand to be around someone constantly, or even at all. Morty stood up for himself now. He took initiative. He was no longer fearful or stupid, he was courageous and kind and willing to do things that he wasn't before. Sure, he was still a dumbass kid; his crush on Jessica and constant porn-watching had roots in his youth, along with his child like behavior in general, willingness to actually do homework (like a nerd), and his relentless bickering with Summer and occasionally his parents. He was simultaneously a child and an adult at the same time, something that Rick knew probably wasn't that great but it's not like he was being forced to come along.

Mostly, he believes that to elevate his own guilt. With another swig of his flask and a doleful sigh, he continues to sit and reminisce. His body feels heavy and tired, something he usually chalked up to age but it's not like he couldn't - or hasn't already - reverse the aging effects to an extent. He was, after all, the smartest man in the universe. Most universes. It was a fact that never escaped him, how entirely empty and hollow things were. ' _Get over the 'smartest man' bullshit, Rick. We've been through this_ ' he tells himself mentally. Because even in his own head, he couldn't let himself feel. He would fight against it with his last dying breath.

But Morty. Morty wasn't empty and hollow. He had life inside him. He was still young, still fresh, still completely and utterly unscathed by the life choices Rick had made that made himself this way - an empty, sad old man. Both Morty and Summer possessed a childlike life to them, something that couldn't and shouldn't be taken away. Rick feels guilty for even letting them come on his wacky, zany adventures in the first place. Though, in a way, what does it matter? He could always get a new Morty and Summer.

Yeah. Always a new one.

"Rick, can you- can you help me with my homework?"

There's no knock as Morty enters the garage. He must have just gotten home from school, a full, uninterrupted day of school (something that was becoming rarer and rarer).

"Come on, MooUURrghty, mathway is free."

"It wont tell me the steps, I-I-I'd have to pay for it."

Petulantly, Rick turns in his chair. Without even setting down his flask, he easily presses a button on his desk, and quickly fiddles with some electronic machinery. He tosses the small, green-screened device to Morty who catches it.

"There, I just invented you a device that'll solve any math problems you want."

Morty stands, a little shocked, a somewhat sad expression on his face. "I, erm, need-"

"Press the blue button to show the work," Rick replies, taking yet another drink.

Morty does as Rick says, and looks intently at the little handheld device. "T-thanks, Rick."

"Yeah."

Morty hovers in the uncomfortable silence while Rick faces away from him, reverted to his original position. Morty wasn't exactly the best when it came to dealing with other peoples' emotions, but he had known Rick to long to not notice something was up.

"H-hey, Rick, you okay? I just mean, I-I haven't seen you in a few days, and all that, so I just-" He stops to think about what to say next, surprised that Rick was staying silent and still. "Well, everything i-is punched out on my card. My turn for a-an adventure."

Rick sighs and turns around in his chair. "Don't you have to finish your homework first?"

Morty shrugs, and takes a few steps closer. "W-well, It'll take, like, five minutes with this, so i-i-it doesn't really matter."

Rick takes a moment and turns in his chair. It was worth nothing to make Morty fuss over him or assume that something was wrong; gotta put on a happy, normal 'Rick and Morty adventure' face.

"Alright, where to then? And don't - UURRP - say some boring shit." Morty goes to speak, but Rick cuts him off as he stands up, putting his nearly empty bottle in his coat pocket, taking out his portal gun. "And no, we can't go to the alternate reality where the Vindicators make you their leader. Again."

"Y-you know, lets just, lets just put it on shuffle and see where we land." Morty smiles halfway, and tosses his book bag besides the door.

Rick shrugs, nods and places a portal at the floor. "Alright, but if it's a fascist one, we leave."

"Deal."

Morty hops into the portal first. He retains a child-like glee, even now, when going on adventures. Rick almost smiles before jumping in after him.


	2. Morty my Morty

Morty would say he was indifferent to his grandfather, if asked. He had been put through too many dangerous stunts, too many lies and traumatic experiences to say he was incredibly fond of him. Well, that is if he was asked.

His grandfather was something like he's never seen. A drunk he was familiar with, his mother did exist, after all. A scientist? His school science teacher. That was a scientist, right? He wasn't entirely sure what the difference was. But everything else about him - his intelligence, his bravado, his overall attitude and morals - what other person was even close to being like that? It was incredible. But it became less incredible. There were millions of Ricks, separate personalities, some closer to being that of his Rick and others the complete opposite. At first he still thought Rick was unique, but over time it became clear he wasn't, and neither was he himself. After all, according to Rick himself, Morty's we're just shielding devices. Or something. He can't really remember.

But still, he learned his Rick was still something different. He was the Rick who destroyed the Citadel of Ricks. He was the one who solved the mystery of what they had dubbed Evil Rick. (Evil Morty, though, still MIA.) He acted different despite talking the same, being cold and all that. But after a while he learned that even that was a farce. Rick gave a shit, or at least he thinks. It showed especially when they went on missions. He had seen other Ricks simply leave their Morty's to die, apparently easy to replace, but Rick? He could be an asshole, letting him fall of a cliff or climb one when Rick didn't, but he also made sure he was always okay. Shielded him, took a shot for him, protected him when it mattered. Morty wasn't exactly the smartest when it came to social cues, but he could tell, after a while, that Rick gave a shit. And for some reason, he was really, _really_ terrible at showing it. Or maybe he didn't want to. Maybe he was shielding himself, or something like that.

He never really tried to bother Rick all that much. He only really got angry on occasion, such as when he was promised a Dragon but didn't get it (asshole) until he forced Rick to keep his end of the bargain. Other than stuff like that, he tried to be as passive as he could. But he was getting more aggressive towards the older man, and he tried to convince himself it was for good reason. And combined with that, he could see Rick was changing, too. He seemed sadder. Well, at least more openly sadder.

It had been three days since he had talked to Rick when he decides to make a move. He hadn't left the garage and it honestly made him anxious. He had only seen him once in the kitchen to grab a glass of orange juice.

He decides on a plan. He needed to talk to him, cheer him up, or something. On the fourth day, a Friday, he enters the garage without knocking.

"Rick, can you- can you help me with my homework?"

With hesitation, Rick replies. "Come on, MooUURrghty, mathway is free."

"It wont tell me the steps, I-I-I'd have to pay for it."

Petulantly, Rick turns in his chair. Without even setting down his flask, he easily presses a button on his desk, and quickly fiddles with some electronic machinery. He tosses the small, green-screened device to Morty who catches it.

"There, I just invented you a device that'll solve any math problems you want."

Morty stands, a little shocked, a somewhat sad expression on his face. "I, erm, need-"

"Press the blue button to show the work," Rick replies, taking yet another drink.

Morty does as Rick says, and looks intently at the little handheld device. "T-thanks, Rick."

"Yeah."

Morty hovers in the uncomfortable silence while Rick faces away from him, reverted to his original position. Morty could tell something was wrong, seriously wrong. 

"H-hey, Rick, you okay? I just mean, I-I haven't seen you in a few days, and all that, so I just-" He stops to think about what to say next, surprised that Rick was staying silent and still. "Well, everything i-is punched out on my card. My turn for a-an adventure."

Rick sighs and turns around in his chair. "Don't you have to finish your homework first?"

Morty shrugs, and takes a few steps closer. It was Friday, even if his parents found out, not like it would matter. "W-well, It'll take, like, five minutes with this, so i-i-it doesn't really matter."

Rick takes a moment and turns in his chair. Morty thinks he's about to say no, or shove him out, but he doesn't.

"Alright, where to then? And don't - UURRP - say some boring shit." Morty goes to speak, but Rick cuts him off as he stands up, putting his nearly empty bottle in his coat pocket, taking out his portal gun. "And no, we can't go to the alternate reality where the Vindicators make you their leader. Again."

"Y-you know, lets just, lets just put it on shuffle and see where we land." Morty smiles halfway, and tosses his book bag besides the door.

Rick shrugs, nods and places a portal at the floor. "Alright, but if it's a fascist one, we leave."

"Deal."

Morty jumps in first. He was excited to think about where the shuffle would take them, but he hoped it was something fun, maybe a little less dangerous? He wanted something laid back in order to get Rick back in shape. He would watch for signs that Rick wasn't having fun, and if all else fails, he knows Rick's favorite dimension to drink in, so there was always that.

Morty knew there was an infinite number of Rick's and Morty's, but this one was, for better or worse, _his_. No use in letting him rot away.


End file.
